2 EDITORIAL

Last October , APB reported on the launch of FreeviewPlus in Australia , an HbbTV service that aggregates content from Australian free-to-air ( FTA ) broadcasters and delivers them via broadband to viewers .

Almost a year on , HbbTV is beginning to adopt a distinctly Asia-Pacific flavour , as New Zealand becomes the latest country in the region to launch its HbbTV service last month . Also named FreeviewPlus , the service brings together broadcast content from more than 19 live channels and on-demand content from Television New Zealand ( TVNZ ), Mãori Television , and MediaWorks .

The HbbTV standard was first conceived as a cost-efficient solution to the constantly evolving consumption behaviours of viewers .

As the battle to attract and retain eyeballs continues to heat up , services such as FreeviewPlus offers broadcasters a platform to bring FTA TV and video-on-demand together into one collective offering — on the predication that TV remains the dominant screen , according to FreeviewPlus New Zealand

Viewers are still drawn to the biggest screen in the house , or the “ home cinema ” experience , said Tom Cotter , CIPO of Mediaworks , while Kevin Kenrick , CEO of TVNZ , described FreeviewPlus as essentially about making content easily available to viewers , when and where they want it .

And the competition is only going to get stiffer , as more subscription video-on-demand ( SVoD ) players begin to enter the fray . Netflix , for instance , is now available in both Australia and New Zealand , not that everyone seems particularly concerned .

“ We do not consider the likes of Netflix as direct competitors ,” claimed Mark Bullen , head of technology and operations at Mãori Television , adding that FreeviewPlus focuses on FTA audiences . He also believes that with the majority of

audiences being traditional viewers , FreeviewPlus does not have a singular focus on non-traditional platforms only .

In Australia , FreeviewPlus is beginning to show signs of promising growth , reported Liz Ross , CEO of Freeview Australia . The increasing number of manufacturers ’ TV receivers in retail , and affordability of set-top boxes , will continue to result in stronger growth of FreeviewPlus penetration in the home , she told APB .

FreeviewPlus also adheres to the key strategy of aggregating and curating content , which can potentially have a positive impact on broadcasters ’ bottom line .

According to Ross , aggregating FTA services offer cost savings through reduced individual network expenditure on technology development , resourcing , implementation and maintenance , as well as reduced marketing spend .

While the true impact of hybrid broadcast broadband services such as FreeviewPlus will take some time to be accurately measured , it is clear that broadcasters in Asia will have to adapt to the new era of TV viewing , where viewers are demanding more control on what and when they want to watch than ever before .

As costs escalate and more competitors join the fray , embracing new technologies and reevaluating business models will place broadcasters in a more advantageous position to move forward — because to stand still today is equivalent to taking a step back .

SHAWN LIEW DEPUTY EDITOR

August 2015 ( volume 32 issue 6 )

EDITORIAL

deputy editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com

contributing editor Millette Manalo-Burgos , millette @ editecintl . com

contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com

reporter Kamarul Arifin Abdul Hafiz , kamarul @ editecintl . com

CORRESPONDENTS

■ Singapore Richard Seah , richard _ seah @ singnet . com . sg

■ China Vicky Liao , liaoxk16 @ vip . sina . com

■ India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk

■ USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com

PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com

multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com

ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com

accounts executive Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com

MARKETING manager - sales & marketing Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

CIRCULATION Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com

PUBLISHING associate publisher Kristy Tan , kristy @ editecintl . com

publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com

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